1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to automatic slicing machine that enables the products obtained by forming meat of chicken, veal etc. in a certain manner to be cooked and sliced automatically under the control of the user.
The present invention is especially related to automatic doner kebab slicing machine, which enables the processes such as cooking doner kebab obtained after forming the meat of chicken, veal etc. in the shape of doner kebab, in maximum diameter, height and slope as much as desired and slicing thereof in desired thickness, to be determined by the user and to be performed automatically.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Today, many mechanisms where doner kebab slicing processes are performed are present. These create some problems while detecting the doner kebab meat, and hence performing the slicing. One of them is gauge slicing process. In the gauge slicing process, where doner kebab meat is detected, a gauge is used in the maximum size of doner kebab that can be sliced by the product getting closer to the doner kebab with a cutting knife and when said gauge contacts with doner kebab, slicing is performed on gauge plane and along the gauge. Here, slicing height is not equal to the doner kebab height and additional displacement is performed. That kind of slicing is appropriate for cylindrical doner kebabs and if doner kebab put during the first slicing process is conical or has roughness thereon, it cannot be sliced until the entire doner kebab surface is cylindrical. The non-sliced surfaces will be burnt during the second cooking process. In addition, the apparatuses are difficult to be cleaned because of their complexity.
Optic system, which is another system performing doner kebab slicing process and detecting doner kebab meat, includes optic sensors at both sides of knife mechanism that will perform the doner kebab meat slicing process. The position of doner kebab meat to be put between the sensors is detected and surface follow-up process is performed. Conical doner kebab can be sliced in said system; however, meat pieces hanging out of doner kebab surface cause the surface of doner kebab to be rough, in other words, to have many burrs, or as the meats put on slicing blade are detected as doner kebab surface by optic detector, surface follow-up cannot be performed on said areas. Therefore, the non-sliced surfaces are burnt during the second cooking process.
One of the applications encountered in the search made in the literature with regards to the subject is the application numbered AU2008100850 and titled “meat slicing system”. Said application is configured in order to slice the meat on a rotisserie around a longitudinal axis as gauge slicing process. Said meat slicing system comprises an arm. Said arm is mounted so as to rotate on a support and is positioned angular to the rotisserie. Said arm comprises a cutting end extending on a determined length and having a cutting track. Said cutting track extends longitudinal and parallel to the rotisserie and retains a cutting tool and allows the movement of cutting tool along the cutting track.
Another application relating to the subject is the one numbered WO2009085022 and titled “microcontroller controlled doner kebab meat broiler and cutter machine, operated by individual motion forms, with stepper motors and optical scanners”. Said application is an optical system and is related to a machine recognizing the formed doner kebab. Said meat is cut by achieving different forms in terms of linear and angular position, speed, acceleration vector properties using optical detectors in determined periods.
In conclusion, improvements are made in doner kebab slicing systems and thus, new embodiments eliminating the above mentioned disadvantages and offering solutions for the present systems are needed.